Author: Plaza16

WE ARE THE PLAZA 16 COALITION

WE ARE A UNIFIED MISSION DISTRICT

NO MONSTER IN THE MISSION

We are neighborhood residents, businesses, and community organizations from the 16th and Mission neighborhood and Mission District. We formed in the fall of 2013 to advocate for affordable housing in the Mission and to oppose the largest market-rate development ever proposed for the neighborhood, the development known as the Monster in the Mission. We have grown to a coalition of well over 100 organizations.

We believe in equitable development that creates healthy, vibrant, communities of opportunity. We believe this requires thoughtful, intentional, and community-based strategies to ensure that low-income communities and communities of color participate in and benefit from the decisions that shape our neighborhoods and our city’s transit-oriented development.

Read our vision statement for development in our neighborhood and our demands for development at 1979 Mission Street at the 16th and Mission BART plaza.

Please take a moment today to help stop the Monster in the Mission. Thank you! Send an email to these addresses:

richhillissf@yahoo.com, dennis.richards@sfgov.org, planning@rodneyfong.com, christine.d.johnson@sfgov.org, joel.koppel@sfgov.org, myrna.melgar@sfgov.org, kathrin.moore@sfgov.org, Commissions.Secretary@sfgov.org
CC:
mayoredwinlee@sfgov.org, Hillary.Ronen@sfgov.org, Nate.Allbee@sfgov.org, john.rahaim@sfgov.org, richard.sucre@sfgov.org, debra.dwyer@sfgov.org, andy@plaza16.org
It’s always great if you can explain in your own words why you oppose the project but if you need it, here’s is a sample letter you can use or adapt. San Francisco Planning Commission
1650 Mission Street, Suite 400
San Francisco, CA 94103RE: Case No. 2013.1543, 1979 Mission Street Mixed-Use Project Dear President Hillis and Planning Commissioners,
I am writing to express our strong opposition to the project proposed for 1979 Mission Street by Maximus Real Estate Partners, known widely as the “Monster in the Mission.” As you know, the Mission District is facing a dire crisis of community and cultural displacement. To address this crisis, we must prioritize deeply affordable housing at this site, not a project of mostly luxury-priced housing that will further accelerate gentrification and the displacement of the existing residents, SRO hotels, mom and pop businesses, nonprofit organizations, arts and cultural spaces, PDR spaces etc. We urge you to recognize the urgent crisis facing the neighborhood, acknowledge the impact of the current massive and unsustainable imbalance of market-rate vs. affordable development in the neighborhood, and reject this project outright.
Furthermore, the Maximus project would have a significant negative impact on the Marshall Elementary School community. Not only would none of the housing in the project be affordable to the majority of families and employees at this Spanish immersion school, the project would also cast a shadow over the school’s playground for most of the school day. For many students this playground is their primary outdoor recreational space. The developer’s proposal to raise the playground would not sufficiently mitigate the shadow impact. We stand with the many Marshall community members who oppose this project due to its unaffordability and student-harming shadow impacts.With the overwhelming influx of market-rate development across the Mission, we must prioritize affordable housing at all remaining building sites. Yet as 16th and Mission is one of the City’s busiest public transportation hubs, affordable housing there is even more essential. Recent research confirms that low income households use public transit at much higher rates than higher income households that drive and/or use car shares at much higher rates. Therefore, building deeply affordable versus market-rate housing at 16th and Mission would benefit the environment and our city with reduced greenhouse emissions and less street congestion.The Maximus project would exacerbate the Mission’s displacement crisis, would cast both a metaphorical and literal shadow of the Marshall School community, and would likely result in both increased pollution and traffic. Instead of the Monster, our organization supports a plan for the site such as the “Marvel,” the community serving project envisioned and created with input from over 300 community members via a grassroots year-long process anchored by the Plaza 16 Coalition. We strongly urge you to fulfil your sacred duty as city planners and use your significant power to reject an unaffordable, community-harming Monster in the Mission and instead advocate for an affordable, community-serving Marvel.Sincerely,

WE NEED TO FLOOD HIS PHONES MONDAY AND TUESDAY (7/10 & 7/11)
David Chiu is the Assemblymember for the east side of SF and he is chair of the the critical last committee — Housing — for SB 35 and he can make the changes to this legislation to protecT the Mission District and other vulnerable neighborhoods in California.
TWO EASY STEPS — Takes less than one minute.
1). CALL: (916) 319 – 2017
2. SAY: “I am a constituent of Assemblymember Chiu and I urge him to oppose SB 35 unless it includes community coalition ammendments such as a ‘safe habor’ provision for our low income communities.”
PLEASE CALL NOW!
Here is a June 10 OpEd with further information on the bill and the impacts it would have on the Mission District and other vulnerable California neighborhoods: http://www.sfexaminer.com/senate-bill-35-will-cause-displacement-communities-color/
AND SIGN THE PETITION!
https://www.change.org/p/protect-our-low-income-communities-oppose-sb-35-unless-amended

ROBERT ROSANIA!
WE REJECT YOUR MONSTER IN OUR MISSIONTUESDAY, APRIL 11
5:30 PM
16th and Mission PlazaRSVP and invite your friends on facebook.Rosania is trying to revive the Monster and is funding a deceitful astroturf campaign
Our fight against Maximus/Robert Rosania’s luxury Monster in the Mission is not over! We have learned the project may be coming for a vote before the Planning Commission in the near future. Meanwhile Robert Rosania has hired astroturf consultants and canvassers who are intimidating and lying to folks in our community about whom they represent and how the Monster would impact our community.
It’s once again time to raise our voice and let Rosania and our City leaders know that we reject the Monster in the Mission. We need affordable housing and community serving businesses, not luxury towers that will further escalate the displacement of our community.
We demand that Rosania attend a community meeting in the Mission District to listen to the people whose lives he will be severely impacting.
Who is Robert Rosania?
Robert Rosania is the CEO of Maximus Real Estate Partners, a controversial real estate developer with a shady history on both coasts. Rosania was a lead partner in the purchase of Parkmerced in San Francisco and the subsequent plan to demolish 1,500 rent-controlled units there. At Parkmerced he fired the entire staff of SEIU USWW union janitors replacing them with non-union workers. In New York City, he personally netted millions in a notorious predatory equity scheme at Riverton Houses that ultimately defaulted and put at risk the housing of thousands of middle and working class residents.
In an attempt to overcome the massive community opposition to his Monster in the Mission, Rosania has contributed hundreds of thousands of dollars to local political campaigns to purchase influence in our City government. He is also notorious for his support of extreme right-wing causes and has made large contributions to politicians that oppose same sex marriage, immigration reform, and who support denial of climate change.
Rosania clearly cares nothing about our community and about San Francisco values. He cares only about his personal profits. He and his proposed project are bad for our neighborhood and bad for our city.
Build the 100% affordable MARVEL in the Mission, not the Monster
For more than three years, thousands of Mission residents have rallied, signed petitions, spoken at community meetings and delivered countless hours of testimony at City hearings demanding, “NO MONSTER IN THE MISSION.”
Rosania’s luxury towers would be utterly unaffordable for the existing community and further rising rents would mean the pricing out of existing families and businesses in the area. The people, merchants, and organizations that we cherish—our very community—will be displaced forever from the neighborhood.
The Plaza16 Coalition spent months facilitating a collaborative community planning process to come up with a positive alternative development we call the MARVEL in the Mission. The Marvel’s housing would be 100% truly affordable and the project would serve other needs of the existing community.

Our sister organization Calle 24 will be presenting to the planning commission its special use district legislation for commercial regulations in the Latino Cultural District.
These regulations have been in the works for nearly two years and will help:

stabilize the Latino Cultural District

preserve our small store fronts

stabilize rents

protect our food retail mix

encourage neighborhood serving business

Groups who wish to “open” 24th Street and the entire Mission District to full gentrification and displacement are organizing to stop these very sensible regulations that were developed out of many months of community input and process. It’s very important that that those of us who value the culture and community of the Mission show up in force at the hearing to support the special use district legislation.
This is an crucial moment for Mission District community solidarity. See you Thursday! Can’t make it to City Hall on Thursday?
Here’s how you can help!Please send a quick email to the Planning Commissioners. Copy and paste these email addresses:richhillissf@yahoo.com, dennis.richards@sfgov.org, planning@rodneyfong.com, christine.d.johnson@sfgov.org, joel.koppel@sfgov.org, myrna.melgar@sfgov.org, kathrin.moore@sfgov.organd please cc:erick@calle24sf.orgHere’s some text you can copy/paste and adapt with your own words:
Dear Commissioners,
Please support the special use district for the Calle 24 Latino Cultural District on February 9th. We need to protect our small business and the Latino Cultural District.
Here are some reasons [use some or all if you like]:

This will protect our businesses that been here for decades are anchors of this community

This will help stabilize the commercial rents

Will help maintain and preserve small, more affordable retail spaces

Will help maintain a healthy retail and food mix

Will encourage more neighborhood serving businesses to open

Will help ensure that everyone can purchase goods and services locally and at reasonable prices

Preserving our businesses is part of the culture that we need to protect

HELP FINALIZE THE COMMUNITY VISION FOR 1979 MISSION STREET!
THE COMMUNITY VISION FOR 1979 MISSION STREET
Plaza 16 Community Meeting
SATURDAY, JANUARY 30,
10:15AM – 2:30PM
Centro del Pueblo :: 474 Valencia Street (near 16th) :: 2nd Floor
Join the Plaza 16 Coalition for a historic day of community-based planning. For two years the Mission community has fought the Monster in the Mission and for months we have conveved to develop a community vision for what we want and need at 16th and Mission. On Jan. 30th we will meet to review our progess so far and decide together our vision for 1979 Mission Street.
The community NEEDS your participation and input. Join us!
Lunch and childcare will be provided.
Please RSVP and invite your friends on Facebook.

Please join us for the

YES ON PROP I :: TOWN HALL
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 14 at 6PM
St. John’s Church
Julian at 15th Street

Join us for a Mission town hall to learn more about why Prop I is so important for the future of the Mission and San Franicsco. Hosted by the Prop I campaign and the Plaza 16 Coalition.
For more information call Maria Z. at 415-487-9203 ext. 207
RSVP and invite your friends on Facebook

Order your tickets now!
Come ROCK OUT with Latin Legends including Leo Rosales (formerly of Malo), John Santos, Dr. Loco, John Calloway, Mission Varrio Project, and MORE!
Join us in this historic celebration of the Latin American music, culture, art, stories and people that make the Mission District in San Francisco so unique.
All proceeds go to Proposition I, the pause for a plan to save the Mission.
Viva La Mission!

SAVE MIDTOWN
CITY HALL
TUE. OCTOBER 6

11:45 Gather
12pm-1pm Press conference + public rally on City Hall Steps
2pm Board of Supervisors public comment
3pm Office of Mayor Ed Lee sit-in
RSVP on Facebook http://bit.ly/savemidtown
65 Families Face An Average 120% Rent Increase, Forced Displacement, Eviction Threats
Midtown is the only city owned apartment complex that is not public housing, the tenants have paid off the property mortgage in 2007. A lot of tenants lost their Fillmore based Victorians to eminent domain during the civic redevelopment and were promised equity ownership upon mortgage satisfaction.
However that promise has been broken, instead we face eviction threats from Mayor’s Office of Housing, promising to start evicting people on 10/12
It’s time for Midtown to take over the City Hall. Public officials have been deaf to our pleas asking them to stop willful destruction of our community.
We’ve written letters and called. We came to Board of Supervisors hearing. We filed the largest rent control petition in San Francisco history and lost. No housing attorney in San Francisco will take our case.
Now we must do what people who can’t get their voices heard do – take our case directly to the people in charge. We’ll be doing a large sit-in until we get our 30 minutes with the mayor, we’ve been asking for this opportunity for months – but were denied.